Another driver was found doing 116 mph on the A1065 in Mundford - almost the double the 60 mph speed limit in the area.

Chris Spinks, head of Norfolk and Suffolk roads policing unit, said: “These people are deliberately deciding to drive at these speeds. They are far and away above where someone may have crept over the speed limit.

“They are making a conscious decision to drive at these speeds and by doing that they are putting themselves at risk and others people’s lives at risk.”

He added: “People driving at these speeds are clearly either not aware of the risks or they are deliberately choosing to ignore this. Either way, they are not competent and safe drivers and should not be on our roads and playing with other people’s lives safety and lives.”

He said speeding was one of the ‘fatal four’ which cause many accidents, together with drugs or alcohol, driver distraction and not wearing a seat belt.

The highest speed recorded in Suffolk was 120 mph near Newmarket, while in Cambridgeshire one driver was caught doing 118 mph on the A14 at Girton.

The figures were released by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), which submitted freedom of information requests to all police authorities, and showed the highest speed recorded nationally was 149 mph on the M25 at Swanley.

The group said efforts to make speeding as socially unacceptable as drink driving had failed.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “The current guidelines on sentencing for excessive speeding offences are out of sync with modern roads, modern vehicles and society’s view of the value of lives lost in crashes.

“We all share the roads with these speeding drivers and the government must crack down on them with more consistent penalties and tougher measures to break their addiction for speed.”

Martin Wilby, who represents Scole on Norfolk County Council, said he was surprised to hear someone was driving so far on the A140 in his area as the majority of drivers respected the speed limit.

He said: “It’s great for police to catch someone doing that speed. I’m glad they caught them and I hope it acts as a deterrent.”